Cable car truck support



(N0 Modem 'J. STEPHENSON.

CABLE GAR TRUCK SUPPORT. No. 396,838. Patented Ja1 1.29, 1889..

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

JOHN STEPHENSON,O1 NEIV YORK, N. Y.

GABLE-CAR-TRUCK SU PPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 896,838, dated January29, 1889.

Application filed February 23, 1883. Serial No. 265,074. (No model.)

To all 1071 0711, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN STEPHENSON, a citizen of the United States,residing in New York, in the county and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Cable-Car-Truck Supports, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Cars propelled by traveling cables are of recent development, and, beingyet in the field of experiment, are not fully adapted to meet therequirements of the cable system. One of these requirements is that thecable-grip shall be suspended from somepartof the ear structure, and itis essential that the vertical distanee of the grip below the surface ofthe tramrail shall be invariable; but this distance cannot be maintainedwhen springs intervene between the car-axle and the car-body carryingthe grip. Attempts at compromise havebeen made by using still springshaving little mo tion; but this has proved imperfect and unsatisfactory,because there is still a continued vertical variation of the grip,although in less degree, and also because of the discomfort to thepassengers resulting from the stiffness of the springs and consequentinelastic nature of the body-support.

In another device which has been used the grip has been suspended fromtwo parallel bars having their ends journaled to the central section ofthe car-axlethat is, between the two wheels of each axle; but thisarrangement is subject to difficulties, viz: first, the tremor of thecent lal part of the car-axle, where the parallel bars are journaled, isdestructive to the machinery thus connected; second, the part of theaxle forming the improvised journal for sustaining the parallel barswith the grip soon wears and weakens, the rapidity of the wear beingpromoted by the mud and dust abounding at this point; third, thelocation is diffi cult of access, so that the proper oiling and care ofsuch improvised journals are impracticable.

My improvement, which remedies these evils, secures increaseddurability, economizes labor, and eonduces to the safety of thepassengers by providing for the suspension of the cable-grip neitherfrom the car-body nor from the aforesaid parallel bars at the centralportions of the axle, but from the axle-journal at the ends of thecar-axles, where the tremor or vibrations do not exist, or areinfinitesimal, and where any special oiling and care-taking of thebearings are needless, because there are no bearings additional to thoseof the axlejournals in the usualboxes. This suspension of the parts fromthe axles may be effected in different ways, one of which I haveillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is aperspective view of a car-axle box having a bearing for thegrip-supporting frame or bar. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the boxillustrated in Fig. 1.

I11 the construction shown in said drawings thecar-axle box A issupported by the journal a (dotted lines, Fig. 2) at one end of one ofthe axles l3, and has its lower surface or bottom formed so as to beadapted to receive and hold beneath the car-journal the corner of acar-truck frame or bar which carries the cable-grip and otherappliances.

In practice I find that the best method is to suspend at some littledistance below the axlebox floor, but integral with the box-shell, an

angle-plate, J, which constitutes the bearing for the truck or othergrip-support. The angle-plate has a vertical back, 3, and horizontal top4, of such length and strength as to receive and hold the end of thetruck side rail. It is possible, however, to dispense with either memberof the angle-plate, leaving a single flat plate to constitute thebearing of sufficient strength to support the corner of the truck. I,however, prefer the angle form of bearing described.

Although I have referred to the bearing for the car-truck frame or othergrip-support as being in the form of a pendant below the box, it may beelsewhere arranged so as to be supported by the journal of the axle,andI therefore do not limit myself to said arrangement.

I claim 1. A car-axle box having integral with its shell an extension ofits lowest side in the form of an angle-plate, constituting bearingfacesat an angle to each other to receive and hold the corner of agrip-supporting truck or frame, substantially as described.

2. A car-axle box having integral with its shell a downward extension ofits rear wall, forming a vertical plate, constituting a bearing-faee forthe attachment of a grip-supportin g truck or support, substantially asset forth.

shell an extension of the lower partflmving a In testimony whereof Ihave signed my nam e to this specification in the presence of two sub-IO 3. A ear-axle box having integral with its scribing witnesses,

JOHN STEPHEUSON.

horizontal bearing face extending trans- Witnesses:

A. STEPHENSON, AUG. RIPPERGER.

